Monday, August 25, 2008

Not light rail, but these two 1999
Newlands & Co.photo simulations of Eugene, Oregon's "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) have been widely used to promote BRT in other cities. A visit to Eugene last week gave me the opportunity to compare the image with the finished reality.
These depicted the European CiViS bus design, not the New Flyer articulated buses actually used. Grass between pavement strips was done in the Franklin median (next photo), but narrower.
About 0.8 miles of the 3.8-mile route is in the median of Franklin Blvd. (left). Another 0.9 miles is in bus lanes on 11th and 10th Avenues. These are predominantly single-lane, with passing at stations and a two-lane median section.
The majority of the route is in mixed traffic. Here a westbound bus from the Springfield station begins the dedicated lane on Franklin Blvd. at the Walnut St. station.
This detail shows the station platform curb and pedestrian ramp.
Westbound buses must wait here in the station for an eastbound bus to clear the single-lane section.
These special 63-foot articulated buses have two doors on their left sides as well as the standard three on the right. This also shows the wing station canopy design.
The westbound bus now proceeds on the single-lane median section toward downtown Eugene.
Here is a typical station on 11th Street, showing concrete bus lanes but not the landscaping of Franklin's median.
Lane Transit District's EmX Green Line buses are scheduled to run every 10 minutes on weekdays, 3.8 miles in 16 minutes between the Springfield and Eugene bus stations, a 14 mph average. This photo is from the good signage in the station.